Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility

The work of Oregon PSR’s Peace Program to ensure healthy communities free from the injustice of war, militarism, racism, and nuclear weapons has rarely felt more urgent. In this time of global pandemic, as our interconnectedness across the planet becomes apparent, the folly of spending exorbitant amounts of money on nuclear weapons rather than meeting basic human needs is starkly visible. Our partners at International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) have created the useful infographic above illustrating the disproportionate spending on nuclear weapons in contrast to the urgent health needs to address the pandemic.

Jordan Cove LNG protest at Oregon's state capitol in Salem (photo courtesy of Emma Jones)

A new year and a new decade are upon us, and already 2020 has brought a huge set of changes and challenges for our communities. A global pandemic has starkly revealed the many ways in which we are failing to care for the health and well-being of our poor and working class, unhoused neighbors, immigrant communities, and other vulnerable people. Oregon’s already short legislative session was cut even shorter by Republican walkouts, making it impossible to pass critical new laws. Yet despite these challenges, we see people coming together to take care of each other, bringing supplies and mutual aid to one another, and all the while still tackling climate change as the broad-scale public health crisis that it remains.

Since 1986, the Covanta Marion waste incinerator (pictured above behind a nearby childcare facility) has been polluting Marion County just east of I-5 and north of Salem. Municipal garbage from the County, as well as medical waste imported from other states, are fed into the incinerator, producing highly toxic air emissions and ash. In fact, the facility is so toxic that it was singled out by the Cleaner Air Oregon program as a top priority for increased scrutiny out of hundreds of facilities statewide.

Due to a series of Republican walkouts over climate legislation, Oregon’s short five-week legislative session stagnated for its final two weeks, leaving a huge list of beneficial bills to languish. We condemn the walkout of legislators on our democratic process, which is harming thousands of Oregonians statewide. Here are the bills that Oregon PSR worked on this session, none of which passed both chambers in Salem:

Oregon PSR member Ned Rosch (pictured above, third from right) recently joined a delegation to Gaza organized by our partners at Washington PSR. Read Ned's reflections from his visit, which remind us of the importance of our work to build a more healthy and peaceful world.

At Oregon PSR, we are doing our part to keep our communities safe from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Public health experts’ understanding of the situation is evolving rapidly and we encourage you to continually check with the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Oregon Health Authority, Multnomah County Health Department, and any other local county health department for the latest information.

As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Oregon PSR does not endorse candidates running for elected office. We do, however, encourage people to exercise their voting rights. We encourage all of our supporters to vote, and we encourage you to make sure that you are registered to vote before Tuesday, April 28th.

The latest episodes of Prescription for Justice, hosted by Oregon PSR Advisory Board Member Dr. Martin Donohoe, are available online. 

On February 10th, in order to build on the momentum from the International Day of Action Against War with Iran, CODEPINK conducted a webinar with Kelly Campbell, Oregon PSR’s Executive Director, and Dr. Goudarz Eghtedari of the American Iranian Friendship Council about how to successfully pass city council resolutions and organize congressional town halls in your local community.

Only two months into 2020, the Jordan Cove LNG export terminal and Pacific Connector fracked gas pipeline proposed by Canadian fossil fuel company Pembina has suffered a slew of defeats thanks to region-wide organizing led by southern Oregonians. This massive fracked gas project would quickly become Oregon's largest single emitter of greenhouse gases and disrupt property rights, Tribes, natural resources, and existing fishing and tourism jobs. Oregon PSR has participated in numerous events that continue to signal that Oregon does not want this project and that our state has the authority to prevent it from ever being built.